An Evans teenager has been apprehended after multiple license plate readers were damaged in Columbia County earlier this month, according to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office reported that two Genetec license plate readers were damaged on August 10 near Pollard’s Corner in Appling.
While investigating, deputies discovered a damaged Flock license plate reader on North Tubman Road in Appling.
According to the sheriff’s office, investigators developed a possible description of the suspect’s vehicle, which was further narrowed down by traffic camera and license plate reader footage.
Around 9 p.m. Monday, deputies saw a car that fit the description near Savanna Rapids Pavilion. During their response, deputies claim they spotted a damaged Flock camera near the pavilion.
According to the sheriff’s office, they eventually tracked down Joshua Osborne, 18, of the 900 block of Windmill Lane in Evans.
Osborne was arrested and is being held without bond at the Columbia County Detention Center, according to the sheriff’s office.
He is charged with second-degree criminal damage to property, theft by taking, possessing burglary tools, and interfering with government property.
The sheriff’s office says that further charges may be brought as the investigation proceeds.
The arrest comes as Flock license plate readers face growing criticism throughout Georgia and the country.
Protesters have gathered outside city halls, more than a dozen Georgia police officers have been arrested for abusing the system, and state lawmakers are debating whether additional rules are required.
Locally, four Richmond County Sheriff’s Office personnel have been jailed and dismissed since June after investigators said they utilized Flock to do personal searches unrelated to police business.
Flock Safety, the business behind the cameras, recently announced new mandatory precautions for law enforcement customers, including as audit tools and shorter data retention windows, in response to complaints that its system is susceptible to abuse.
Critics think the revisions are a start in the right direction, but not far enough.
Cameras have also been vandalized in other parts of the country as a result of the response, according to DeFlock, a grassroots organization that monitors license plate reader use countrywide.
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